Another interesting, well kept folk museum is Bangkok Folk Museum or Bangkokian Museum. The place belonged to Associate Professor Waraporn Surawadee who had lived there until she donated it to Bangkok Metropolitan in 2004. When you walk through the gate, you just feel that you are back in time. Bangkok 80 – 100 years ago must have been like that, with trees everywhere making the place cool from soft breeze even at noon time.

The museum has three main buildings. All are wooden houses built in colonial style. The original owner was a middle class business man. This house has survived the Second World War and watch the community change over the period. Most exhibits belong to the owner family, even the television set and refrigerator in the dining room. Their ancestor’s relics are still there, in one of the bedrooms. Explanation comes in simple sentence like, “This is mother’s handmade cutwork table cloth. It has always been used with this table. Mother rearranged flower vase on the table every day.” So, when you walk through, you get a feeling of walking through lives of people who once lived there.

I meant to write about the place some time ago, but didn’t quite get round to it yet. Until one day, I learned from the internet that Professor Waraporn is asking for help from the community. The adjacent land will be sold to a new owner as a site for high rise building. Since the museum itself is situated in a small plot of land, this new high rise building will be an eye-sore. So, she approached the owner and asked if she could buy it instead. Yes, it cost 40 million baht. Professor Waraporn offered her own money of 30 million baht as a down payment. Then she needs another 10 millions, which she asks for public help. What about Bangkok Metropolitan’s role in this case? They have no regulation on this and are thinking about it. Good grief!!

At the end of the story, Professor Waraporn solicited the amount required to purchase that plot of land. Bangkokian Museum will be situated in a piece of tranquil land as it used to be. It seems that Professor Waraporn’s mission has been completed. In January 2017, she fell off the staircase in her house while reaching out to take her cat for its meal, causing skull fractured. She had been rushed to the hospital and was unconscious for seven more days and passed away peacefully.
I blog the above paragraph as a tribute to a kindhearted lady who had led her life as an example for us all.

I stood watching Chao Phraya River flowing leisurely by in front of a building that once was an old railway station. The station has been moved to other place. Now this building has been converted to a folk museum.

The museum itself is divided into two parts. One part exhibits history of the first hospital in Thailand and modern medical education of the country. The other part exhibits history of the community. The area has gone through many ups and downs.

More than two hundred years ago, it was a sea port. When they were building foundation of the hospital’s new building a few years ago, construction workers came across an ancient ship buried in the ground. It appeared to be an old day sea-faring ship, 24 meters long. Many ceramic products have also been found buried at the same earth layer.

Some two hundred years ago when Bangkok had moved across the river, the land became a site of a palace, belonging to one gallant and cultured prince.

Approximately a hundred years later, it was the site of the first all girl boarding school in Thailand before this school moved to its current location in Sukhumvit area. Since then the site has been used as the first modern hospital in Thailand.

Around the same period, it was a community where high rank officials lived because it was on the opposite side of the river from the Grand Palace, the hub of government administration then.

Then the country was modernized, a railway station was built to the north of the hospital, linking Bangkok with the southern part of Thailand. During the Second World War, the railway station was bombarded heavily by the Allies.

Obviously Chao Phraya River has witnessed all these as it flows leisurely, quietly by.

Ticket counter of the railway station

Railway benches in the orientation room where museum visitors are briefed with short film

Photos of historic buildings

Herbs garden linking two buildings of the museum

Ancient sea-faring ship unearthed at the site.

Community’s life style in 1880 A.D.

Sample of government official’s house

]]>https://dawnsrv.wordpress.com/2015/11/13/museum-in-the-hospital/feed/0dawnsrv151112 Museum-01Ticket counter of the railway stationRailway benches in the orientation room where museum visitors are briefed with short filmPhotos of historic buildingsHerbs garden linking two buildings of the museumAncient sea-faring ship unearthed at the site.Community's life style in 1880 A.D.Sample of government official's houseThe Siam Societyhttps://dawnsrv.wordpress.com/2015/10/23/the-siam-society/
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Every country has its own organization to compile and promote knowledge about the country. So does Thailand.

The Siam Society under Royal Patronage was founded in 1904 to promote knowledge of Thailand. The Society owns a library with unique collection including manuscripts and rare books. The Society’s Kamthieng House is one of an early folk museum in Thailand. Study trips are organized to historical sites, cultural events, and nature sites in Thailand and sometimes overseas. Lectures are organized several times a month on a wide range of topics. The Journal of the Siam Society and the Natural History Bulletin are published annually and distributed free to members. The Society organizes lectures on various topics, publishes scholarly books and journals, stages performances of music and is involved in projects of cultural preservation.

This serenely quiet place is situated on the busy Sukhumvit 21 Road. As soon as you walk in, it is so calm that you’d feel like spending a whole day reading. The Society operates as a non-profit organization dedicated to its founding cause. Yet, it no longer depends on membership alone. Premise is offered as venue for event, to help easing off expense burden. The thing that has not been changed is that the society has been working hard to help promoting knowledge about Thailand as ever.

Nan is a special province because there is a river originating from about 24 tributaries within the province. This river is called Nan River which contributes 40% of water to Chao Phraya River. So, it is necessary to have good management on water source.

In around 2003, the rich head water shed forest of Mead stream (Nam Mead) had been invaded by Lua hill-tribe to make a maize field. Danger signal loomed up when Bundit Chimchart had been posted as Head of Nam Mead Water Shed Management Unit. He had used a lot of mass psychology to communicate with 38 households to make the villagers understand the importance of head water shed forest. At the same time, he obtained expense budget from the provincial office to use heavy machines to help making terrace field for cultivation. Each household was allotted 5 rais (8,000 sq.m.) of land to farm.

Later, with help from Preecha Wutthikarn of Hongsa Power Company as part of its CSR programme, 32 check dams have been built to make irrigation system, distributing water to each farm plot. When they have water, after the rice farming season, villagers can plant other crops. At present, they are busy in their farms until they do not have time to clear the forest to plant maize any more. They still preserve their tribal way of life. At present, Nam Mead Water Shed Management Unit has retrieved 4,000 rais (1 rai = 1,600 sq.m.) of forest land. In cooperation with villagers from 15 villages in 2 sub-districts, the Management Unit has set up Conserving Right Nan River Bank Association to take care of 78,000 rais of forest. When there is forest fire, villagers will help putting it out because they think that it is their forest – the community forest. Preecha and Bundit try to add sustenance factor to the project by setting up ‘Conserving Head Watershed Forest Youth Group’. Those youths have never known where the water from them runs to. He organized an activity called ‘Water source – end of the river – same heart’, taking the youths to visit the end of the river. There, they met new friends who were ‘End of Chao Phraya Home Conserving Youth Group’. This group of youths was the same. They had never known where the water came from. When they had an opportunity to visit the water source, they understood the birth of the river better. Both groups help to conserve water source as well as end of the river.

In 2015, there is a new theatre being opened in Bangkok. K Bank Siam Pic Ganesha is well equipped with modernized technology, although the name is a bit long. The first show is ‘The Overture – The Musicals’.

The overture in Thai music is the same as in western music. It is usually played at the beginning of a concert. That is probably why they use this musical as the first show of the theatre. Many years ago, the movie ‘The Overture’ has been produced. It was a biography of a well known Thai musician. The story told how Sorn made his reputation at the beginning of his career as ranaad player. In his mid-life, he was open-minded to accept that his son is a pianist, playing western instrument. They even played the song using piano and ranaad together. But towards the end of his life during the Second World War, situation in Thailand has changed. The government thought that civilization was about eliminating old way of life. So, they announced strict guidelines of lifestyle. The citizen had to forego chewing betel nuts, listening to traditional music and so on. Maestro Sorn disagreed with the rules and had to endure humiliation. But he stood tall to defend Thai music which had been the love of his life.

When the story is made as the musicals, it has to be considered a real brave attempt because there are a few impressive scenes in the movie that can be difficult to produce as a play. But production team has made it equally impressive. Here is the links to Theme song of this musicals and Thai instrument

The Treasury Department of Thailand has converted one of its buildings into Coin Museum. It is a modern type of museum with visitor interaction. Before you enter the permanent exhibition, there is a gimmick for children to play with. If you hold a white paper over some coins, there are moving pictures to show the history of that particular coin. There is a part in the brochure that you can use for that purpose.

In the permanent exhibition room, the four dimension animation informing history of coins is interesting. Visitors are seated on a stone around a mocked campfire that really produces smokes and dancing flame. Story is told on the cave wall. Then you move on to see collection of old coins from many countries.

There is one permanent exhibition room about the history of Thai coins. Foreign coins are also displayed, so visitors know what kind of story other countries tell in their coins.

The museum designer has done the job well, trying to bring out enthusiasm in coins. Even the brochure is specially designed so that you can fold it into coin bag. It is really worth a visit.

On the bank of Chao Phraya River, from Som Det Phra Pin Klao Bridge to Santichai Prakan Public Park, there is a walk way along the river bank. I went there during the New Year holiday.

It was a short walk – less than one kilometer. So, it did not take long to complete. However, I stopped by to take photographs of the river and enjoyed scenery in a cool breeze. Doing just that is already a treat. But while sipping a cup of coffee in one coffee shop, I saw a train of cargo barges. This kind of barge is tugged up and down the river by a tugboat. Some years ago, it was the most efficient way of domestic transport. Although it is still the most cost effective method, people go for lorry or railway nowadays. Seeing tugboat and cargo barges like this is like meeting a long lost friend.

During Christmas season of 2014, Siam Opera presented ‘The Magic Flute’ again. They have done it once in 2006. I guess this rendition has been designed to be funnier. As it turns out, it has been hilarious. Siam Philharmonic Orchestra was conducted by Trisdee Na Patalung, who received very good review from the Opera magazine when he did it in 2006.

I noticed that the soprano vocalist performing Pamina part was a Thai. That was a bit surprising because she did a very good job. I only found out after the show that she was Nadlada Thamtanakom. This high spirited young lady has been trained as vocalist in Belgium Conservatory and just returned home last year.

A day after the opera, there was the annual New Year Concert by Siam Sinfonietta and Nadlada was there again. She sang His Majesty’s ‘Falling Rain’, in the same version that Siam Sinfonietta had received standing ovation during their performance at Carnegie Hall in the middle of the year. It was beautifully done with her clear voice. Another star is about to shine, I think.

Having been to ‘A (Silent) Night with Harmonic Noises’ choral concert, I have just learned that there is a concert hall for acoustic music in Thailand. It is a small concert hall that can accommodate only 180 people. But the acoustic was impressive.

The hall has been designed by Nat Yontararak, an architectural graduate who has become a famous Thai pianist and also operates a music school. Sala Sudasiri Sobha was named after Princess Sudasiri Sobha who was Nat’s patron when he was studying music in London. Nat has designed this hall with a vision to create a place where performers and audiences can be one through music. This vision seems to have been accomplished. It has received excellent reviews from many papers. Some even call this hall a musical paradise.

The concert here always starts at 19:30. An hour before that, there is a free reception. Light supper is also served after the concert. You do not feel like an audience when you walk in. Actually, you are welcome to the place just like being a guest to a friend’s house. Music is just a taste you have in common.

December is usually my concert month. This year I have at least four concerts lined up. Among them, there is one small choral concert called ‘A (Silent) Night with Harmonic Noises’. It was a Christmas concert performed by an all girls chorus. They are a group of school choir who enjoys singing together. While they were in school, they made a concert tour to many countries including World Choir Game Competition in China.

After graduating from school, they wanted to continue singing together. That was how this amateur group was founded. Apart from accepting odd jobs during the year, Christmas is the only time they seriously get together to sing. This is their first official concert, which is also a charity concert raising fund for the Gift of Life Foundation to help blood disease patients.

It turns out to be a success. The harmony was perfect because they have been practicing together since primary school years. If they continue along this road, we will probably hear more about them yet. Here is Santa Baby.